Posted Sunday, July 31, 2011

Posted Saturday, July 30, 2011

There was a very very large package under our tree last Christmas. It wasn't the first present that Maizie opened. My own present-opening strategy would have been to start with the biggest first, but she started with the small boxes under the tree. When she had opened the last book, she looked at the penguin wrapped tower in front of her, not sure if it was really a present or not. David and I had been tittering with barely concealed anticipation, while she slowly went through the small stack. We managed to wait patiently without blurting out, "JUST OPEN THE BIG ONE ALREADY!!!".

The moment finally arrived. She tore off the paper and paused a moment. "It's a house for all my dolls". She scurried away, returning with an armful of princesses.

My favorite present as a child was the dollhouse that my father had made. Wendy and I played with it for longer than any self respecting twelve year old would admit. Watching Maizie, open her's started the deja vu's rolling in.

Waiting patiently upstairs in our attic were the boxes of doll furniture, from that Christmas over 30 years ago. Maizie helped me bring them down stairs, now her time to be tittering with excitement. We unpacked kitchen appliances. She exclaimed over tiny pots and pans. Furniture had to be placed just right. I cleaned the pieces while she played, smiling. I had found a time machine back to my childhood.

Not everyone was as happy as Maizie and I that morning. My own dolls, stripped of their clothes for washing, watched homeless piled on the side lines, while Cinderella and her pals settled into their house.

Posted Friday, July 29, 2011

Each winter Michelle, of Hi Mamma, and her family make bird seed ornaments. They've done it for years during the kids winter break, but it really does not need to be a winter craft/project. Their craft room is the sunroom and they enjoy listening to music and watching their feathered friends have a little snack. Depending on the type of birds you have in your area, really depends upon the type of bird seed that you purchase for this project. If your children really get into watching the birds, there are lots of great kid friendly bird watching books and state specific bird field guides you can pick up at the local library, that will help you identify your backyard birds and what they enjoy eating.

Here's how you can make your own::

Ingredients and Supplies

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup water

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

3 tbsp. corn syrup (can be dark or light)

4 cups birdseed

cookie cutters (to form the shape of the bird seed holders)

waxed paper

ribbon/yarn/string

Combine the flour, water, gelatin and corn syrup in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well mixed together.

Add the bird seed and continue mixing until it is well coated. You can tell when the bird seed is coated as you cannot see the flour on the seed, and it starts to clumping.

Spoon your bird seed mixture into each mold (aka the cookie cutters), fill it half way in the mold. Use your fingers to push down on the bird seed so that is packed/dense and will stay in it shape. Then add your “hanger” at the top of the mold. We cut our desired length of yarn and folded it over to form a horseshoe…placed the ends of the string about 1 inch down from the top of the mold, so that the loop would be hung on the tree branch, and then placed more of the bird seed mixture on top of the string and the mold. Once again made sure that we packed the bird seed down tight.

Keep the birdseed mixture in the molds for roughly 2 1/2 hours. Afterwards, gently remove the ornaments from the mold pressing lightly at the edges (not the middle or it might break), and place them back on the wax paper. Allow the shapes to dry for at least 2-3 hours or even overnight before hanging.

Thanks Michelle for sharing one of your families traditions. This makes a fun activity to do with cousins or when it's too cold to play outside.

Michelle's shop, Hi Mamma, is participating in our EtsyKids Christmas in July promotional and offering free shipping when you enter the promotional code, 711CHRISTMASINJULY at checkout!

This post and many more like it can be found on Michelle's blog, Hi Mamma Designs, where she shares her journey through motherhood, crafting, cooking and living.

Posted Thursday, July 28, 2011

I know … I just gave you the perfect gift for that person that you were thinking “I really should get them something, but I don’t know what…I wish I could make them something…I don’t have a lot of time, so something simple…something cute, that I know they’d like.” (I know you’ve had this conversation in your head at least once this past week!)

Enter … this cookie jar.

And it takes like 10 minutes … now you really need to thank me!

Hint … If you love the star that totally puts this little project over the edge, I would also become a subscriber. You’ll have it just in time to put on your cookie jar…and everyone will think you are the craftiest!

Materials:

Glass Cookie Jar (I picked mine up at my local chain craft store for just a few dollars.)

Stencils (I made my own…see directions below.)

Craft Knife

Cutting Mat

Temporary Spray Adhesive

Glass Etching Cream (Again, I picked up a small bottle of Armour Etch…that will be more than enough.)

Paint Brush

Cookies!!

Directions:1. Make Stencils
If you look closely at the picture, you can see I have two stencils that I used on my jar. The first is the “M,” which I just printed out from my computer (in Brush Script font, size 350), and then carefully cut out with a craft knife on my cutting mat. The second, which is harder to see, is a snowflake. This is simply just a punch that I had in my arsenal of craft supplies.2. Adhere Stencil and Etch
Using the temporary spray adhesive, adhere your stencils to your jar, being sure to really get them down securely so that no etching cream spreads underneath them. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the actual etching process. For me, it pretty much went: glop it on, then wait for it to dry. (The directions actually said to put on a thick coat, brushing in all directions, then allow to dry for 5 minutes.) When the etching cream was ready, I just took it over to the sink, and with water and a soft cloth, wiped off the stencils (since they are made from just printer weight paper, they almost dissolve in the water), and the dried etching cream, and project complete!
Here’s one more pic to remind you of how cute it is!Enjoy…(and you’re welcome!), Nikki, In StitchesPS…What will you fill these with??
Here are two yummy suggestions:
A recipe for my great-grandmother’s butter cookies … they are the best!Martha Stewart’s Peppermint Bark … I’ve made this in the past, it’s really easy, and it is one of my faves!Want the directions to the origami star??Take a look in this post: Origami Stars!

Nikki, In Stitches is offering 15% off everything in her shop for her EtsyKids Christmas in July Sale, just use coupon code JULY15 at checkout! Her headbands and hair accessories would add a lovely touch to your family picture for the Christmas card photo or complement a special holiday outfit.

Nikki recently launched a beautiful new website. Her blog is a delightful and fun read. A seamstress at heart, Nikki enjoys putting fresh twists on traditional crafts. Her modern methods mashed with old school techniques is a great source for creative ideas in crafting. It's instantly evident when you visit her blog and her shop. Thanks again Nikki for sharing this great holiday project.

Posted Wednesday, July 27, 2011

When I was little, my brother and I used to leave a note out for Santa to read. We always set it out next to his plate and cookies, and we always left a little treat for his reindeer, too!

So here's a set of your very own free 5x7 printable letters to Santa. They come in three sets: Each with a coordinating color scheme, both with and without text.

Each Letter is a finished size of 5x7 and can be printed at home.

To use:1. Download the Free Santa's Letters. The zip contains 6 files!2. Print on cardstock (I use 110lb white matte)3. Trim to size.4. Have your child sign his or her name OR write their own personalized message to Santa!

A special thanks to Blush Printables for sharing this free printable. You can see more of Jen's beautiful designs in her etsy shop, Blush Printables, where she offers DIY Invitations and accessories for weddings, showers, birthdays and events. Blush is participating in our EtsyKids Christmas in July sale and is offering 15% off photo cards.

Jen has a beautiful blog that you won't want to pass up. She shares lovely pieces of inspiration and designs for brides and more recently babies! as she patiently awaits the arrival of her own little bundle. Jen is also extremely generous to her readers and offers amazing freebies throughout the year. So don't miss out and become a regular reader of Blush Printables.

Posted Tuesday, July 26, 2011

It's time to vote for your favorite item! Voting will be open through midnight EST, July 27th. This month, EtsyKids members were challenged to create an exciting new item based on a theme "All about the Boys!". We received a bunch of fantastic entries from some talented people. Each participant was assigned a unique random number. Please note your favorite from the list below and place your vote. You can also view each entry in detail by clicking on links provided at the bottom of this post or HERE.

The story of Santa Claus starts with St. Nicholas, a saint who was known for anonymous gift giving to the poor and needy. Although it is mainly a European holiday, many families inside the US celebrate aspects of St. Nicholas Day on December 6th as apart of Advent or as an activity in their Christmas countdown.

The tradition is that on the eve of December 6th, children place their shoes/boots outside their doors for St. Nicholas to fill with chocolates and candies, fruit and nuts and small gifts.

Harvest Moon by Hand, has observed this tradition with her children for a couple of years years now. "It is something that they look forward to each year. It's such a simple tradition, but one that I know they'll remember when they're older." She also uses the opportunity to teach them about who St. Nicholas was - his life, how he lived it and the impact he had on the world.

If you'd like to learn more about St. Nicholas and see what parts of the tradition you might like to enjoy with your family, the St. Nicholas Center website has many resources for individuals and families, religious and non-religious.

Many EtsyKids sellers have little gifts perfect for slipping into a child's shoe to help make the morning fun and exciting. And putting in a couple for sharing with friends and siblings helps to continue the legacy of St. Nicholas and warmth of the season. Here are just a few suggestions:

You can search shops participating in our EtsyKids Christmas in July sale by searching EK christmasinjuly or EK CIJ on Etsy. Each shop promotion is a bit different, so read each shops announcement or see this list of participants for the details.

Posted Monday, July 25, 2011

Today Auntie Robin shares one of her Christmas Traditions.
While I have only two daughters, my extended family is very big. I have been an aunt all my life and now have 76 nieces and nephews!! That’s counting my nieces and nephews, their children and even their grandchildren! Hence the name of my etsy shop, Auntie Robin.
With such a large family, buying that many Christmas gifts is out of the question. Many years, ago I started making Christmas ornaments every year for all the kids. I try to make something different each year with fabric, felt, and/or embroidery. My favorites so far have been little fabric stockings and wool felt ice skates. I’ve made personalized snowmen, gingerbread men, mittens, candy canes, you name it! Everyone thinks it’s fun to see what this year’s ornament will be. I usually sweeten the gift with a little cash or candy.
I love making the ornaments and other gifts. It’s heart-warming to hear that these are some of the kids’ favorite ornaments. One of my adult nieces has a separate tree in her home decorated only with ornaments I’ve given them. She has five children so over the years they’ve received a lot of them! A couple of years ago another niece gave away all their ornaments except for the ones I’ve made them. Now that she has little ones of her own, she appreciates that these ornaments can’t be broken!
It’s time for me to start making ornaments for this year’s gift-giving. I won’t mention what they are, but I’d better get busy!
During the Christmas in July sale, use Coupon Code CHRISTMAS15 to get 15% off all your in stock orders.

Posted Saturday, July 23, 2011

This tutorial comes from Ann of Harvest Moon by Hand. It was one of their family advent activities. The results are beautiful and we are so pleased Ann is sharing how to make these charming ornaments.

These beeswax ornaments are made by pouring melted beeswax into ceramic ceramic cookie molds. The mold designs lend themselves well to the ornaments, and in the window, the sunlight reveals the pattern. It takes about a pound of wax to make eight ornaments.

The first step was to melt the wax. My daughter, emptied a huge can of black beans and washed out the container. I put the wax into the can and then into a heavy pot with a few inches of water.

The next step, once the wax was melted, was to pour it into molds. Initially, we poured the wax directly onto the mold. It ended up sticking. One of the ornaments came off easily, but the rest stuck. After getting the wax off, I put some vegetable oil onto the molds. We re-melted the wax and tried again.

This time, there was too much oil and the ornaments looked greasy. Removed all the beeswax and re-melted it. Wiped off some of the oil so there was barely any there.

Third time...re-poured the wax in the molds and put little holes where the ribbon would go through.

The beeswax hardens quite quickly. For the initial ornaments, we made holes with toothpicks through the wax so a ribbon would go through them. For the last batch, I put the ribbon in the back of the hardening wax.

If we had trouble taking any of the ornaments out of the molds, we put them in the freezer for a few minutes. Then they would come out easily.

After drying them for a couple of days at room temperature, I took a paring knife and cleaned up the edges as well as put a ribbon through the holes for hanging them.

My daughter and I enjoyed making these ornaments together, and look forward to making more of them.

Many thanks to Ann for sharing one of her projects for the holidays. Ann's shop, Harvest Moon by Hand is participant in our Christmas in July Sale. Save 10% on everything in her shop by using code EKCIJ10 (products only; not on shipping).

If you love these Beeswax Impressions but aren't up for making them yourself, you can purchase them in her shop here.

Follow Ann's articles and photos about homeschooling; arts and crafts; cooking; nature walks; natural living; needlework; and see what inspires the creation of products available through Harvest Moon by Hand by reading her blog.

Posted Thursday, July 21, 2011

All of the EtsyKids Team shops below are having Christmas in July SALES! Click on any listing below to find more photos and then take a trip through their Etsy shop to browse all the great deals offered by these talented artists and artisans.

Posted Wednesday, July 20, 2011

One of my favorite things about Christmas when I was little was pulling out the stockings that my Grandmother hand made for us. All of her kids and grand kids had handmade stockings that she made out of felt and and sequins. By the time her great grandchildren (my kids and my nieces and nephews) came along she started making needlepoint-cross-stitch stockings. My grandmother taught me to needlepoint/cross-stitch when I was very young. I love doing all kinds of crafts, but needlepoint is probably my biggest love!!

I love giving homemade gifts. Christmas, birthdays, any excuse I can find. I started making stuffed animals in February 2010 when my niece had a baby girl. I made my first stuffed animal ever for her nursery, a pink giraffe with purple spots. Everyone in my family, my mother, especially my sister and her three kids (17, 19 and 23) love all the stuffed animals I make. Every time I make a new stuffed animal I send them pictures or post a pic to Facebook. I swear they are worse than little kids (especially my sister who happens to be 43 years old). I want it, I want one, I want that. Needless to say, there are not enough birthdays and holidays to meet their growing wish list. They definitely keep me in stitches!

Since I started making stuffed animals a year and a half ago, I have given over 50 away as gifts. I love making these adorable little stuffed animals!!! They thrill me to no end when they are finished and show up with their own little personalities. The only reason I sell them on Etsy is so that I have an excuse to keep making them. Every animal I have listed is ready to ship, which translates to my cozy living space being overrun by stuffed animals. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Michelle's Christmas in July sale is 20% off your entire purchase. Use coupon code CIJ20 at checkout.

Posted Tuesday, July 19, 2011

I love a good truffle – I make chocolate chip cookie ones every year when I do my holiday baking. So, it goes without saying that I was super excited to try these Oreo Truffles at a meeting of my MOMS Club a few weeks ago. My friend served them as pops with sticks in them (so cute!), which I will do the next time.

These are super easy. Start them now, and they’ll be ready to eat in just a couple of hours. I’ll be making these again soon, perhaps trying a different kind or flavor of sandwich cookie.

Mix the cookies and cream cheese together. Form into balls (I used a melon baller for size), and place on wax paper on a cookie sheet. Freeze until set. (I left mine in about two hours.)

Melt chocolate (white or semisweet), and dip the frozen truffles into the chocolate. While the chocolate is still soft, decorate with seasonal sprinkles, colored sugar, etc. (I'm already thinking that this recipe will come out again at Christmastime.) My chocolate coating ended up a little messy. Next time, I’ll use block baker’s chocolate rather than chocolate and white chips.

Chill in the fridge to set the chocolate. Then, try to limit yourself to just one. Or two.

Posted Monday, July 18, 2011

Posted Sunday, July 17, 2011

Walter Silva shares this memory of Christmas with the Etsykids Blog today.

It was Christmas 1972, I was 3 1/2 years old and I received a Fisher Price Pull Toy from Santa.Wow! It was a "Snoopy" dog! Not, to be mistaken for Charles Schulz ‘s Snoopy dog from "Peanuts" or the smaller Fisher Price Snoopy dog still in production (made of plastic).This was a bigger version, a Basset Hound made out of wood and it had a plastic red leash attached to it's neck.I remember walking "Snoopy" back and forth for hours on our driveway and walk way too. I would take "Snoopy" with me everywhere, including visits to my Grand Parents home. Those were the good ole days...

Not sure what ever happened to my "Snoopy" but he sure made an impact on my life. Matter of Fact, the illustrations used for these wonderful toys are what inspired me to study illustration!

I have been collecting Vintage Fisher Price Pull Toys for over 2 decades. I have them displayed in my studio and they continue to inspire me.

I absolutely love creating for Children. My Niece and Nephew play an important role in helping me decide what types of animals I should create and what they want to see next. Soon, I promise... Cats, Dogs, Fish and more Owls.

During the Christmas in July Sale, everything in Walter's shop is 15% off with coupon code

Posted Saturday, July 16, 2011

One rainy day, my son and I needed something to do. We’d played, watched TV, done puzzles … we were bored. So, I started flipping through Usborne Summer Activities, and we decided we’d try our hand at making pop-up cards.

We had so much fun that we ended up making six of them to send to family and friends. This was a great activity for my son (he’s three) because there were lots of things he could do and decisions he could make. As he gets older, I can see him taking on this project from start to finish. For now, though, he needed help with the scissors and the assembly of the cards.

Christmas and the holidays are going to be here before you know it -- no, really, I saw Christmas decorations going up in Hobby Lobby the other day -- so if you're a cardmaker, now is the time to get started on your holiday cards. And if you've got kids, this is a great way to get them involved in the process. There's a good chance I'll be resurrecting this project and dragging out trees, stars, Santa, and reindeer stickers!

Here’s what we did:

First, cut two pieces of paper exactly the same size. I used white cardstock and cut ours 5” x 10”. Folded in half, it makes a 5” square card. (Next time, I think I’ll break into my patterned scrapbooking papers rather than just using white -- maybe those Christmas and winter papers!)

Take one of the cards, and make two cuts of the same length in the center of the folded side of the card.

Fold the flap made by the cuts one way and then the other. Crease.

Open the card and push the center out so it pops up. Glue this card to the other piece of paper you cut. Don’t glue down the pop-up flap – you want this to stand up when the card opens!

I copied a page of several small vehicles for my son to color and dragged out all kinds of stickers. While he was stickering the cards, I cut out the vehicles he colored. Once he had covered the cards with stickers – sometimes two or three layers deep! – I glued the cutout onto the pop-up flap.

Write a note in them and address the envelopes, and they’re ready to go! Depending on the number of stickers your kid used, it’s wise to have them weighed at the post office in case they need extra postage. We used foam stickers, so ours cost a few extra cents per card.

Our recipients were delighted with them, and my son loved sending notes to some of his favorite people.

Posted Friday, July 15, 2011

Each month EtsyKids Team members are challenged to create a unique item within a chosen theme. "All about the Boys!" is our challenge for July, picked by our last month's winner Squishy Bee. Featuring items such as apparel, accessories, decorations, games and more, all handcrafted with care exclusively for the boys.

EtsyKids members will have until July 19th to submit their entries, and voting will be open to everybody from Thursday, July 21st to Wednesday, July 27th. So, be sure to come back to the EtsyKids blog for a new post on the 21st to see all of the entries and VOTE! In the meantime, please click here to get a sneak peek at some exciting entries so far!

Check out these boys items on sale during the Etsykids Christmas In July Promotion.

Posted Thursday, July 14, 2011

Don't wait until December 24th to finish your Christmas shopping. Take advantage of the Christmas in July sale going on at Etsy right now. VisitEtsy now to find special deals on an amazing array of items.

Please join the EtsyKids Team in our first BNR (buy and replace) treasury in honor of EtsyKids Christmas in July! If you have an Etsy shop, purchase a listing from any of the featured shops and have a listing of your choice replace the featured shop. Click on the listings that intrigue you in the treasury below and visit the corresponding EtsyKids Team member shop. Wishing you all many merry purchases for your kids! Stop by the treasury and hang out with EtsyKids Team members!

Auntie Robin
Clothing for little girls and quilts for babies and toddlers
All in-stock items will be included in sale at 15% off with coupon code JULY15.
Aunty Ann Designs
Wild, Fun and Unique Sock Monkeys
Bonus will be "free" name embroidery with sock monkey or blankey purchase. Be sure to put EKBONUS in comments at checkout with the name. Plus a special 10% discount when using the code EKSAVE10 at checkout on all purchases.

Ava Bowtique
I sell all kinds of hair accessories
All items will be 10% off.

goldenneedlecreation
I sell natural, Waldorf inspired toys, dolls and pretty treasures for children of all ages!
I will offer free shipping coupon code XMASINJULY1
All items in my shop will be included in the Christmas in July special.

Harvest Moon by Hand
Origami window stars/suncatchers, hand-embroidered/all-natural toys for children; needlefelted toys made from all-natural sheep wool; PDF patterns, children's accessories, and crafting supplies
Everything is for sale in the shop! Use code EKCIJ10 to get 10% off everything in the shop (products only; not on shipping)

MaggieHeirlooms
Heirloom Children's Clothing
10% off (coupon code CHRISTMAS) on all new custom orders that are paid in full
25% off (coupon code RTS25) on all "Ready To Ship" items

mandag433
specialize in newborn - children photography props including hats and booties. I have a great red and green stocking hat, with jingle bells that is a big seller for christmas pictures!
offering 20% off items in my shop.

Markoos Modern Design
Modern Kid's clothing and accessories
offering a 15% discount on all purchases with code - 711XMAS

Peace, Baby! Batiks
batik clothing for babies and toddlers, including T-shirts, dresses, and bodysuits. I also have a limited selected of items for youth and adults.
All ready-to-ship items (which is everything in my shop!) is 15% off with coupon code SUMMERSANTA. The coupon is good through July 31

Reet Momma
make personalized xmas stockings and each one is uniquely designed for the person

Snuggly Monkey
Ouchie Pouches, Toys and Accessories
Certain items are 20-25% off - look for the "CIJ SALE" in the title (including my Snuggly Baby Dolls!); And 10% off all non-CIJ SALE items with CIJSALE coupon code